1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle steering mechanism, and more particularly to a compensator for such steering mechanism for altering the effective angle of a steering knuckle arm relative to its associated wheel spindle.
2. Prior Art
The angle of a steering knuckle arm relative to its associated wheel spindle in a vehicle steering mechanism has customarily been an obtuse angle so that when the vehicle is turning the toe-out of the front wheels is increased to maintain each of the wheel spindles substantially aligned with its turning radius to reduce sliding of the front wheels. Such Ackerman steering mechanism is described in the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology at volume 1, page 56. It has not been possible, however, to alter the effective angle between the steering knuckle arms and the wheel spindles to compensate for errors in design or inaccuracies in manufacture so as to eliminate, or at least minimize, such sliding without deformation of the steering knuckle arms by bending them to alter the steering knuckle arm angle. If the opposite steering knuckle arms are bent to correct an error in design or inaccuracy in manufacture of the arm, it is difficult to insure that each arm will be bent precisely the same amount. Therefore, by bending the steering knuckle arms to compensate for an error in design or inaccuracy in manufacture, it is possible that the symmetry of the steering linkage will be destroyed so that the vehicle will perform differently in turning to the left than in turning to the right.